Maptitude and TransCAD are derived from a common technological base,
but TransCAD is a substantially larger product than Maptitude and
has many more capabilities. TransCAD also has many additional data
structures or objects that are not present in Maptitude. Both
TransCAD and Maptitude share similar formats for point, line, and
area layers. TransCAD has additional data types for matrices,
networks, and route systems. TransCAD matrices, networks, and route
systems cannot be viewed or imported into Maptitude. If a map file
or a workspace contains one or more of these elements, it cannot be
opened in Maptitude.
TransCAD routes and route systems are used for many things in
transportation including designation of highway, transit, and air
links that connect locations. In TransCAD, you can create, edit, and
display routes as well as perform analysis of route characteristics.
TransCAD supports linear referencing. TransCAD can query and display
geographic data in route-milepoint format, create data in this
format, adjust mileposts, and create strip charts.
TransCAD has extensive capabilities for manipulating matrices.
Matrices are used for distance and travel time tables as well as for
maintaining flow information. In TransCAD, you can have an unlimited
number of matrices of virtually unlimited size. There are numerous
functions supported for performing matrix calculations. TransCAD
also support interactive matrix editing and display of matrix
information in the form of desire lines.
Maptitude can find shortest paths on line layers one at a time, but
provides no control over the network that is used. Unlike TransCAD,
no turn restrictions, turn penalties, nor transfer penalties can be
utilized in Maptitude nor can network links be enabled and disabled.
Another set of features present in TransCAD and not in Maptitude are
associated with statistical capabilities. In TransCAD, you can
calculate summary statistics, produce tabulations, and
cross-tabulations, correlation matrices, perform linear model
estimation and evaluation, and calculate spatial statistics.
Base TransCAD is built from the same software as Standard (or Full
TransCAD). Base TransCAD has most of the GIS capabilities of
TransCAD but many fewer procedures for transportation planning and
analysis. Procedures included with both versions of TransCAD include
network creation, shortest path calculations, network partitioning,
and the creation of network bands (isochrones). Procedures not
included with Base TransCAD are all of the travel demand forecasting
and routing/logistics procedures.
Planning utilities which permit importing of CTPP and PUMS files,
import of TranPlan, MINUTP, emme/2, and TRIPS files are not included
in Base TransCAD. The Freight Dashboard, which is an easy way to
query freight flow data, will only be provided in Standard TransCAD.
There are some additional capabilities for public transit that are
part of Standard TransCAD that are not in Base TransCAD. These
include transit O-D estimation, shortest path based upon schedules,
and traveler information functions.
Lastly, Standard TransCAD has many advanced features for editing
line layers that are not included in Maptitude or Base TransCAD.
These include creation of interchanges and conflation of less
accurate line layers to more accurate ones.
The GISDK included with Maptitude is limited to the functions
supported in Maptitude. The GISDK for TransCAD is included with both
Base and Standard TransCAD. The capability to run batch mode scripts
is only included with Standard TransCAD. Macro functions associated
with Standard, but not Base TransCAD will not run with Base
TransCAD.
Caliper does not guarantee the compatibility or interoperability of
Maptitude and TransCAD. As part of our product development
activities, enhancements to underlying file formats may appear first
in one product and not in the other. Major new features as well as
minor enhancements will typically appear first in TransCAD. However,
TransCAD and Base TransCAD will always be perfectly compatible at
the same Version level.
| SUPPORTED DATA STRUCTURES: | Maptitude | Base TransCAD | Standard TransCAD |
| Points |
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| Lines |
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| Areas |
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| Matrices |
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| Route Systems |
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| Networks |
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| TRANSPORTATION PROCEDURES: | Maptitude | Base TransCAD | Standard TransCAD |
| Shortest Path on a Line Layer |
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| Shortest Path with Turn or Transfer Penalties |
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| Address to Address Shortest Path |
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| Multiple Shortest Path |
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| Network Partitioning |
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| Network Bands |
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| Traveling Salesman |
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| Travel Demand Forecasting |
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| Transit Procedures |
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| Routing and Arc/Street Routing |
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| Logistics |
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| STATISTICS | Maptitude | Base TransCAD | Standard TransCAD |
| Summary Statistics |
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| Tabulations and Cross-Tabulations |
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| Correlation Matrices |
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| Linear Model Estimation and Evaluation |
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| Spatial Statistics |
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| GEOGRAPHIC EDITING | Maptitude | Base TransCAD | Standard TransCAD |
| Basic Geographic Editing |
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| Advanced Line Editing |
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*NOTE: All products are built on
the same GIS base and support many GIS functions including:
MapWizard mapping technology, map locator, geographic data
translators, geographic overlay, bands (buffers), areas of
influence, contours, density grids, GPS interface, integrated maps and charts, pin
mapping (geocoding), feature selection/geographic queries, and much
more.